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I’m pretty proud that Artsploration was one of the three finalists for the Emerging Business Award. I am so grateful for the love and support everyone has given me in this first year.

Congratulations to all the #BEA2018 award recipients. There are numerous fantastic local businesses run by passionate and driven people. I ❤️ Dufferin.

Community Builder Award – Headwaters Dental
Association of the Year – Family Transition Place
Business of the Year 10 emp – Highland Restoration DKI
Dufferin Business Citizen of the Year – Steve Bowles

Shout outs to:
Lavender Blue Catering Ltd for the amazing meal
Petals Flower Co. for the gorgeous centerpieces
Reid's Potatoes & Farm Market for the pumpkins and fall décor
Catherine Thompson – Art of Glass for the stunning awards
Dufferin Board of Trade for a wonderful evening gala and all that you do for the community ... See more

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The devastating damage Christmas tree fires can inflict on people and property – and just how quickly it can happen – were vividly demonstrated during a live burn event on Monday at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) research lab in Rockville, MD. The footage (above) underscores just how fast a dried out Christmas tree burns, with flashover occurring in about 30 seconds, while a well-watered tree burns at a far slower rate.
National news outlets covered the event, including The Today Show, CNN, FOX News, NBC, Univision and ABC News. Watch the ABC News featuring NFPA President Jim Pauley, who addressed the potential risks posed by Christmas tree and candle fires, while reminding everyone about the life-saving value of working smoke alarms in the home and a having a home fire escape plan.
Of course, the goal of the burn event isn’t to scare people away from enjoying the holidays. It’s to remind everyone about the importance of taking simple safety precautions that can ensure a festive and fire-safe season.

For a wealth of information, videos, tip sheets and other resources addressing the safe use of Christmas trees, candles and other holiday decorations, visit www.nfpa.org/external-link.

Yesterday, 7 of our teams headed off to help out Meco DKI in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia with the severe flooding they experienced on Thanksgiving.

From the CBC yesterday:

Some people in Cape Breton are still desperate for information on where to turn for help after the flooding on Thanksgiving Monday.

Here are some answers from a phone-in on Monday, hosted by CBC Cape Breton’s Information Morning, which included a lawyer, an insurance specialist, a general contractor, a disaster restoration specialist and officials from Nova Scotia Department of Transportation and Infrastructure and the Cape Breton Regional Municipality:

Water bills and municipal taxes

Tricia O’Neil’s home on St. Peters Road in Sydney has been declared uninhabitable, so she and her family are staying with friends.

“What are the next steps?” she asked the panel of experts. “Do we still have to pay municipal taxes? Do we still need to pay water?”

People affected by the Thanksgiving Monday flood are still looking for answers on what to do next. (Norma Jean MacPhee/CBC)

Christina Lamey, a spokesperson with the mayor’s office, said water accounts can be suspended or cancelled.

Liam Gillis, a lawyer with Sampson McPhee, said homeowners can notify the Cape Breton Regional Municipality’s taxation department if their homes have been deemed uninhabitable.

“Sometimes they can have a reduction in their taxes for that uninhabitable space,” he said.

What does insurance cover?

The limits of insurance coverage are an ongoing frustration for some who didn’t understand why they weren’t covered for flooding.

While coverage for sewer backup is “pretty common,” the experts said most people are likely not covered for overland water damage.

“In the past year and a half, some insurance companies have developed extended water coverage,” said Amanda Dean, the vice president for the Insurance Bureau of Canada’s Atlantic region. “It is new on the market.”

So, determining the cause of the flooding is key.

“If you disagree with an insurance adjuster’s assessment of the cause of damage, it’s important to have someone else in — perhaps a restoration expert that can provide a second opinion.” Gillis said.

What can you do while you wait for an adjuster?

Walter Dewey, whose home was damaged by an overflowing brook, said he has insurance but is still waiting for an adjuster to visit.

Dean suggested he keep a record of the damage.

“Document the damage. Take photos,” she said. “Then, clean up what you can. Anything you can do to mitigate further damage.”

Many homes sustained catastrophic damage, while thousands of others lost the contents of their basements in the flooding. (CBC)

Homeowners should try to access insurance money first. If the damage is not covered, the homeowner will need to provide evidence that the insurance company was not willing to cover damages before making a claim to the disaster fund.

Orangeville honours its environmental stewards

The Town of Orangeville handed out a total of three Environmental Sustainability Awards to different individuals and groups on Monday (May 2).

Receiving the 2011 awards from Coun. Sylvia Bradley, chair of the Orangeville Sustainability Action Team (OSAT), were Ann Fenton, Trish Bradley of the Highland Restoration DKI, and the Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB), represented by school board chair Bob Borden, teacher Jill Fendley-Legge and child and youth counsellor D’arcy Litchti.

Fenton, who accepted the award for an individual, has been instrumental in a greening initiative at Montgomery Village Public School through a walk to school program. Working with the UGDSB, Orangeville police and Green Communities of Canada, Fenton has helped students understand it’s cool to walk to school.

The award for a business was given to Highland Restoration Disaster Kleenup, a company owned by Trish and Shane Bradley, which has reduced the amount of material heading to landfill by restoring 80 per cent of damaged household contents.

The company has introduced green technology to restore items from fire and flood, rather than replacement — even salvaging damaged clothing, leather goods and stuffed toys, among many other household items.

Last but not least, the UGDSB was recognized for its green bin program, which has it partnering with Dufferin County’s waste management division to pilot an organics bin program at Montgomery Village Public School. By the winter of 2011, all schools in Dufferin will participate in the program, where students and staff will divert food wastes from landfill by creating compost.

Hello to everyone! I am very happy to once again begin working on our website!

Please watch for updated photo’s and information as there has been many exciting and challenging changes to Highland, and our website gives me the opportunity to share our improvements to our service with you – our followers, our clients or potential clients.

Check often and if you have any suggestions of what you would like to see, or a photo or comment you want to share, please send it to myself at Trish@highlandrestoration.ca